Roof collapse toll set to rise

Rescuers yesterday searched for more victims of the weekend roof collapse at a Moscow water park and President Vladimir Putin pledged to punish those who might be responsible for sloppy construction or bad maintenance.

Twenty-five people were confirmed dead in the disaster, with Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov saying the death toll could rise by up to 13.

Luzhkov, who visited the ruins of the Transvaal Park on Moscow's southwestern outskirts early in the morning, reaffirmed that there was no hope of finding anyone alive. The victims included seven children, six women and 12 men, city prosecutors said.

Luzhkov and other officials have said there was no evidence of a terror act in the collapse of the concrete-and-glass structure on Moscow's south-western outskirts and pointed to possible construction flaws or poor maintenance.

Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into negligence leading to deaths and started picking up debris of the roof for analysis.

Putin offered his condolences to the victims, promising the accident would be thoroughly investigated. "The culprits must be punished", he said.

Russian media said widespread neglect of safety norms and official corruption might have contributed to the disaster.